Men would take a coin and level out one of the sides and engrave symbols like doves, hearts or cupids along with the names of their loved ones and often give them to the women they were to marry. They would also bend one of the sides of the coins up. The women would then keep them in their purse so they would always have them on themselves as a sign of loyalty and as a reminder of their love. As time went on the tokens appearing were always flat but still made from altered coins. People who couldn't get their hands on the silver used copper and those that had enough for silver occasionally saved up for gold.
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